Age Discrimination Attorney Takes on Computer Giant Apple

Age Discrimination Attorney Takes on Computer Giant Apple

An attorney who was fired from Apple claims it was because of her age and gender. Her lawsuit against Apple shows that age and gender discrimination happens even to highly paid, successful executives, in companies that ‘should know better.’

She filed her suit under the name ‘Jane Doe’ to keep her identity private. She had a stellar work record with Apple, received excellent work reviews and even a bonus for outstanding work. All that changed when Apple assigned her to a male manager.

In the suit, her age discrimination lawyer says she was denied flexible work options that were regularly given to younger male equals in her department. Her job required travel, as did theirs, but her counterparts were allowed to work among various Apple locations throughout California to give them more time closer to their families. She was also denied telecommuting work arrangements, despite the fact that accommodation was given to her younger co-workers.

Her manager gave her conflicting directions, setting her up to fail. On top of all that, she was not included in meetings that were important to her assignments.

Jane Doe’s attorney, Carney Shegerian, however, is not impressed with the Pao case. He dismissed it as weak to begin with, and lacking credibility.

Shegerian might be right. Apple already tried to have Jane Doe’s trial moved to a court in Silicon Valley, where it is thought that potential jurors might have a favorable bias towards the huge employer. The judge ruled in Jane Doe’s favor, and denied the motion.

According to Federal law, companies with over 20 employees, like Apple, must follow strict guidelines to avoid liability for age discrimination suits from workers age 40 and over. The EEOC reports that the number of age related complaints has increased over the last few years. There are State laws, too, that protect against age discrimination at companies with less than twenty employees.